Arch supporting device for footwear



Feb. 7, 1933-. v s JOHNSTQNE 1,896,586

- ARCH SUPPORTING DEVICE FOR FOOTWEAR Filed Nov. 30, 1931 %HIII 7 a a INVENTOR. .5 l3 l6 SAMUEL JOHNSTONE BY -.v V6

ATTORNEYS.

Patented Feb. 7, 1933 UNITED STATES SAMUEL JOHNSTONE, OF ALHAMBRA, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO PATENT OFFICE FREDERICK H. HERMAN, OF ALHAMBRA, CALIFORNIA ARCH SUPPORTING DEVICE FOR FOOTWEAR Application filed November 30, 1931. Serial No. 578,079.

This invention relates to and has fora purpose the provision of a device WhlCh 1n its assoclation with a shoe provldes a comfortable and restfulsupport for the arch of the wearers foot so as to relieve the foot arch of undue stresses and prevent fallen arches as well asother foot troubles. L

It is a further purpose of the invention to provide a device of the above described.

'In the accompanying drawin Figure 1 is a view showing in bottom plan a shoe with one form of arch. supporting device I embodying this invention applied thereto.

Figure 2 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view taken on the line 22 of Figure 1. a

Figure 3 is a vertical transverse sectional View taken on the line 33. of Figure 1. Figure 4 is a bottom plan view of a shoe with the second form of this invention ap plied thereto; and' Figure 5 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view taken on the line 55 of Figure 4.

5 Referring specifically to the drawing in which similar reference characters designate similar parts in each of the several views, and particularly to Figures 1 to 3 inclusive, this invention in its present embodiment comprises an integral body designated generally at B and preferably constructed of resilient rubber or other suitable yieldable or cushioning material. The body is molded to provide a heel portion 10 having the usual fiat tread surface 11; and from the forward end of the heel portion 10 projects a second portion 10 shaped to fit the shank 12 of a shoe S and of sufficient length to span the v shank of the shoe sole. The portion 10" is provided with aflat tread surface 13 and is taperedlongitudinally so as to decrease in.

thickness toward its forward end and feather or merge into the sole of the shoe at the rear end of its tread.

The portion 10 is bifurcated longitudinally to provide spaced apart tongues 14 and 15, the former of which is of the greater width and is disposed toward the outer side of. the shoe sole. The spaced apart tongues 14 and 15 provide therebetween an intervening slot 16: which opens to the forward end of the portion 10 and provides for the circulation of air to the shank of the shoe sole as well as permits inward displacement of the material of the tongues under pressure imposedonthe latter as in walking.

The outer side edges of the tongues 14 and 15 are concave as indicated at 17 in Figure 3 for the purpose of eliminating lateral bulg ing of the tongues outwardly beyond the contour of the shank of the shoe sole, under pressure imposed on the'tongues as in walking so that the tongues will not project beyond the shank of the shoe sole and thus be unsightly. It. is to be noted thatthetread surface 13 of the portion 10 is offset from the tread surface 11 of the portion'10 so as to be disposed at a slightly lower level than the tread surface 11 when the body is applied to the shoe-S as shown in the drawing. The

portions 10 and 10- of the body are provided at suitably spaced intervals with openings receiving conventional fastening members 18 to secure the body to the shank and heel portion'of the shoe sole.- In addition. a suitable adhesive or cement can be employed to fixedly securethe body to the shoe.

With the body B thusapplied to the shoe, it will be clear that in the act of walking the portion 10" will come in contact with the ground-slightly in advance of the heel portion 10 so as to exert a yielding upward pressure upon the foot arch as well as to comfortably support the arch and relieve the lat"- ter of undue strain. That portion of the body B forming the portion 10 is preferably softeror more resilient than the portion 10 so as'not to exert a harmful upward 11 and 13 can be varied as practice may dictate or can be dispensed with should the material of the portion 10 be of the same or less resiliency than that of the heel portion 10. The greater width of the tongue 14 provides for the adequate supporting of the increased weight imposed thereon due to the location of this tongueat the outer side of the shoe, as it will be evident that the weight of the wearers body is most generally thrust toward the outer side of the foot during the act of walking.

Reference will now be had to Figures 4 and 5 wherein is shown a second form of this invention constructed independently of the usual cushion heel H of the shoe and intended to be separately applied to the latter. This form of the invention comprises a body B constructed of the same material as the body-B and shaped to fit the shank 12 of a shoe so as to span the shank from the forward edge of the heel H to the tread portion of the shoe sole. The body B" is tapered longitudinally so as to feather or merge at its forward end into the tread portion of the shoe sole and is bifurcated longitudinally from its forward end to form tongues 1 and 15 with an intervening slot 16 identical to the previously described portion 10 of the body B. The outer side edges of the body B are likewise concave to eliminate outward bulging of the tongues under pressure imposed thereon, and the fiat tread surface 13 of the body may or may not be offset from the tread surface 11 of the heel H as practice may dictate. The body B is secured to the shank of the shoe sole by conventional fastening members 18 and a suitable adhesive or cement. This form of the invention functions in a manner identical to that of the previously described form so as to provide a comfortable support for the foot arch to relieve the latter of undue stresses and prevent fallen arches and other foot troubles. It will also be noted that by providing the arch supporting tongues 14, 15, and 14, 15 of the bodies B and B respectively, the tongues can be made to conform to shoe soles of different contour of the shoe shank, one of said tongues being of greater width than the other to provide for greater weight imposed on the outer side of a shoe as in walking.

SAMUEL J OHNSTONE.

'widths as the tongues of each form of the invention can be moved towards or away from each other in applying the device to a shoe so that the outer side edges of the tongues substantially conform to the marginal contour of the shank of the shoe sole.

I claim:

A device of the character described comprising: a body of yieldable material adapted to be secured to a shoe and having a heel portion and a portion projecting forwardly therefrom, to underlie the shank of the shoe sole for the support of the foot arch, said second portion being bifurcated longitudinaL' ly from its forward extremity to provide spaced apart tongues the outer side edges of which substantially conform to the marginal 

